A row has broken out in New Hedges over proposed boundary changes. Members of St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council have launched a petition this week against plans by Pembrokeshire County Council to alter the electoral arrangements. The local authority is proposing that all the residents in the area from Twy Cross/Trevayne down to Cwm Gwennol should be tacked on to Saundersfoot Community Council, while all the residences at Park House, the Park House complex itself and the new hospital facility would come under Tenby Town Council. This would mean that St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council would be reduced from eight serving councillors to only five. "Councillors and local residents are up in arms about the proposals and we intend to fight this all the way to the Welsh Assembly if necessary,"said chairman, Clr. Ron Johns. "With these changes, the council would probably just wither away and that would be a shame." In a notice circulated to residents of the village this week, it was explained that if the council was to disappear, the electorate would be absorbed into both Tenby and Saundersfoot electoral areas. "Both are very fine and active councils, but have totally different remits. Tenby and Saundersfoot are primarily involved in the holiday and leisure industry and St. Mary Out Liberty, whilst having good holiday facilities, is essentially a residential area," the notice said. It also explained that the community council was 'very active' and 'vibrant', with members giving of their time freely to make sure fellow residents got the best services at the best value for their money. "This is a council that has got things done, going back to persuading the county council to build a bypass, right down to the present day, getting a well-equipped playing field for our children, and through the Village Hall management committee, saving an old school and school house and transforming it into a superb facility for the 21st century." As part of their campaign against the proposals, the community council is launching a petition and members will be calling on residents asking them to sign it and for their opinions. A number of letters in support of the community council have also been submitted which will be handed to the county council along with the petition. In addition, the community council is calling a meeting on Tuesday, July 10, at 7 pm, at the Village Hall, when feedback from the community will be discussed. "We have already spoken to residents directly affected by the proposed changes and so far nobody is in favour of it," added Clr. Johns. "New Hedges is thriving and nobody wants to see it changed," he added. When contacted by the Observer, a spokeswoman for Pembrokeshire County Council confirmed that the authority was currently holding a periodic electoral review of all community councils in Pembrokeshire. The spokeswoman said: "It is a statutory duty that we have to perform. "The draft proposals mean that some boundaries will change. There would also be a reduction in councillor numbers. "We are currently at the draft proposal stage with St. Mary Out Liberty. "In these draft proposals, they will exchange certain areas with Tenby Town Council, but lose a certain area to Saundersfoot Community Council. "There is also a reduction in councillor numbers from eight to five. As a result, there will be an increase in Saundersfoot community councillors from 10 to 12. "This is the first stage of the review. Following the current consultation, the council will draw up final proposals which will be submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales. "They will request further submissions from community councils before submitting their findings to the National Assembly who will make the final order."